10-year Sentence In Knife Attack

Victim Disabled Permanently

NEW BRITAIN — A judge Tuesday sentenced a man to serve 10 years in prison for stabbing his ex-roommate and leaving him unable to work or even perform many of life's daily tasks.

Theodore Janik, 55, pleaded guilty in September to assault charges. He was arrested two year ago after stabbing his roommate in the back of the head during a drunken argument.

Superior Court officials said the roommate, who was not identified, suffered a traumatic brain injury and is permanently disabled.

The man's sister and her family care for him, said Kitt Tierney, victim's advocate for the New Britain state's attorney's office. She said the stabbing has had a devastating effect on the man and his family.

``The saddest thing is that they have lost a family member, he is not the same person he was before,'' Tierney said in court. ``He always had a smile on his face and he was a bright spot in family activities and that's lost.''

Assistant State's Attorney Paul Rotiroti said the victim is partially paralyzed on his left side, has difficulty speaking and cannot work.

``He cannot function normally and is distraught at the situation he is in,'' Rotiroti said. ``What makes this situation worse is the permanency of the injuries he's suffered.''

Janik said nothing during his court appearance. His attorney, Assistant Public Defender Claude Chong said Janik regrets what happened, but that he remembers very little of it. Chong said Janik has a long history of alcoholism.

Judge Susan Handy blasted Janik for not taking responsibility for his actions.

``You were thoroughly drunk and you almost killed someone who was supposed to be your friend,'' she said.

The incident happened in October 2002 in an apartment on Dean Drive that Janik shared with the victim. Court officials said during an earlier proceeding that the two were drinking in the hours before the attack and got into an argument. As the argument escalated, Janik grabbed a knife and stabbed his roommate in the back of his head. It was not clear what they were arguing about.

Court officials said that after the attack, Janik wrote his roommate a letter asking him to tell police that he got hurt when he slipped and hit his head. Janik also asked the roommate to say that Janik was staying at a motel and was not at the apartment when the roommate got hurt.